apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

HADRIAN, PIUS, AND MARCUS.
.
505
do represent genuine martyrs, who were buried in the neighbourhood of Symphorosa,
but had no other connexion with her ;
and that their sonship was a later adaptation
of the story of the Maccabasan mother and her sons. They were brothers as members
of the Christian brotherhood, but in no other sense. If so, there is no sufficient
ground for assigning their martyrdom to the reign of Hadrian. The companion story
of Felicitas and her seven sons, which I shall have to consider presently, is best
explained in the same way.
The Acts of Symphorosa state that the heathen pontiffs, at whose instigation these
sons of Symphorosa were martyred, called the jDlace of their execution Ad Septem
Biothaitatos. This word ^loddvaros (or more correctly ^laiodcwaros), which commonly
meant 'a suicide', was applied by the heathen to Christians who voluntarily courted
martyrdom see W. Dindorf in Steph. Thes. s. v. ^caioCavariu, and Ducange Gloss.
:
Lat. s. V. 'Biothanati'. It seems probable that the place did bear this name, so that
the statement is not a pure invention of the writer of these Acts.
(y)
S. Diojiysius the Areopagite.
The Martyrologium Veins Romamun p. 170 {Patrol. Lat. cxxiii.) under v Non.
Octob. has the entry; 'Athenis Dionysii Areopagitae sub Adriano diversis tormentis
passi, ut Aristides testis est in opere quod de Christiana religione composuit ;
hoc opus apud Athenienses inter antiquorum memorias clarissimum tenetur'. This
notice has been copied by subsequent Latin martyrologists.
A person who enjoyed distinction as an Areopagite as early as A. D. 52, when
S. Paul visited Athens, could hardly have been living during the reign of Hadrian
— (a.d. 117 138). In order to obviate this difficulty Otto {Corp. Apol. Christ, ix. p. 345
sq) supposes that in the authority used by this martyrologist 'sub Adriano' was a
marginal note referring to the time when Aristides' Apology was written. It is
hardly probable however that, if Aristides had made this statement respecting
Dionysius the Areopagite, it would have been overlooked by Eusebius. At all events
Eusebius elsewhere {H. E. iii. 4) takes the pains to record a notice which he found in
Dionysius of Corinth respecting his namesake the Areopagite. We must therefore
suppose that our martyrologist has altogether mistaken his authority. There is another
mention of Aristides the Apologist in this same Martyrology (ii
Kal. Sept.).
(S)
Alexander Bishop of Rome and others.
Linked with this bishop in the honours of martyrdom are his priests Evenlius and
Theodulus, with their converts Hermes the prefect and Quirinus the tribune. The
authority is the Acts of Alexander (May 3).
These Acts may be safely rejected on
several grounds ;
(a) They are full of historical mis-statements and anachronisms. Thus Aurelian
militiae at the time
the persecutor of these martyrs is represented as coties utriiisqtie
of Trajan's death; the title being thus antedated by some centuries. Hermes is City
Prefect at the time, though history says nothing of a person of this name bearing this
office. Aurelian's wife, who by the way plays the part of Pilate's wife, warning her
husband against shedding the blood of an innocent man, is called Severina (or Severiana).
But Severina is the name of the consort of the emperor Aurelian. (b) They
teem with miracles and exaggerations of all kinds. Thus S. Alexander converts the